Cuba Continues Fight Against Arboviruses

The number of arbovirus cases is high, but with everyone's participation and the resources we have, we will be able to achieve control and reduce the levels of infestation and contagion, stated Dr. Carilda Peña García, Vice Minister of Public Health of Cuba, today.

At a press conference, Peña García specified that there was an increase in sick people in the last week, but health screenings also increased. She noted that while chikungunya causes very strong, even disabling symptoms, dengue remains the most dangerous of the viruses circulating in the country.

She recalled that the vector transmitting these diseases is the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which lives where humans are. Therefore, it is very important to clean up the environment, because if the insect finds a favorable space for its development, it will remain there.

The Vice Minister, who oversees the epidemiological area, explained that patients with chikungunya are found in practically the entire country.

Only Las Tunas, Mayabeque, and the Isla de la Juventud have no reported cases, while Guantánamo, Ciego de Ávila, Cienfuegos, Matanzas, and Havana are the territories with the most complex situations concerning the dengue virus, she detailed.

Peña García said that fumigation is not carried out massively, but in places where there is evidence of the virus. She added that the country has foggers, fumigation cars, and is mobilizing brigades to carry out these actions.

Dr. Reinol García Moreiro, the Vice Minister in charge of medical care, emphasized the importance of seeking medical attention, as health personnel are the ones who can diagnose which virus the patient has and the potential degree of complication.

He added that those patients on home care must remain in their homes for a period of approximately seven days in the case of chikungunya, although symptoms may extend for a few more days.

The specialist highlighted that the country currently has more than 70,000 doctors and an equal number of medical students; he stressed that family doctors and polyclinics are prepared to provide precise care and urged people to seek help in time to prevent fatal outcomes.

Translated by Sergio A. Paneque / CubaSí Translation Staff